


Dum-E

by thevalesofanduin



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Friendship, Happy SteveTonyFest everyone!, M/M, Pre-Slash, Really how could I not?, Wall-E was on TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-01
Updated: 2012-12-01
Packaged: 2017-11-20 01:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevalesofanduin/pseuds/thevalesofanduin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve just loves Wall-E. For multiple reasons, not just because it's cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dum-E

**Author's Note:**

> So, Wall-E was on TV and today (ahum, no, it's 0.02, so that means yesterday) is (was) SteveTonyFest and this is my cute (late) little contribution!

Tony has been holed up in his workshop for twenty-eight hours straight when Steve decides it’s time to do something about it.

So he’s ordered a large pepperoni pizza and a six-pack of beer and is now on his way to the workshop. 

He feels a by now familiar flutter in his chest when he asks Jarvis entry to the workshop. He’s done this many times, feels responsible to feed Tony when he forgets to do it himself. He knows, however, that that responsibility isn’t just because he’s the unofficial leader of the Avengers. His growing attraction towards Tony – both in an emotional and physical way – also plays a big part in it. The fact Clint keeps on calling Tony and Steve’s pizza-dinners dates doesn’t make him feel any more calm when Jarvis suddenly opens the door.

Tony is sitting hunched over at a workbench, goggles pulled over his eyes and welding something together.

“Tony, I brought pizza.” He tells the other, making his way over to the workbench decorated as a make-shift kitchen. Not that it has anything other than a tap, a coffee maker and a microwave but Tony has proven to only need those three things to survive anyway.

“Yeah, put it down and start eating. I’ll be right there.” Tony says, waving a hand almost dismissively into the air without actually looking up from what he’s doing.

Steve rolls his eyes, knowing how this is going to go. He’ll eat a slice, wait another fifteen minutes for Tony to finish and then when Tony is about to start something new again, he will drag Tony over to actually eat something. It’s how it always goes and Steve hasn’t got a single doubt that’s how it’ll go today.

“Hi Dummy,” Steve greets the robot when he passes him by. He puts the pizza down onto the counter and turns around, leaning against the counter to watch Tony work. He’s always impressed with the efficiency with which Tony works and how he can be completely involved in what he’s doing, not taking any notice of the outside world.

He shakes his head with a faint smile and turns around. He’s quite hungry himself and he still hasn’t had his customary slice before he can safely interrupt Tony from his work.

He grabs a slice and turns around, watching Tony work again. That’s when he notices Dummy hovering around Tony. He watches the robot hanging around, waiting for an order or someone – Tony – to save and that’s when he gets the idea.

He grins, puts down his slice of pizza and makes his way over to the robot.

“Hey, Dummy.” He leans against the bench, studying Dummy for a moment. Then he glances at Tony and asks: “Can I teach Dummy something?”

“Hm, who, Dummy?” Tony shoots a glance into Steve his direction and shrugs before turning back to his welding. “Fat chance he’ll learn but knock yourself out, Cap.”

Steve grins and turns back to the robot. “I want to try something, okay?” He asks.

Dummy moves around a bit with a slightly whizzing noise.

“Can you say Dum-E, Dummy?” He asks and then slowly, speaking as clearly as he can, repeats: “Dum-E.”

Dummy moves around a bit, his ‘head’ twisting with whirring sounds, almost as if he’s questioning Steve.

“Dum-E.” Steve repeats again and then leans his head to the side. 

Suddenly Tony laughs, putting down his welder, pulling up his goggles to the top of his head and looking at Steve with a playful twinkle in his eyes. “That’s not going to work.”

Steve turns to Tony with a frown. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Tony nods and stands up. “Not until I fix him to actually be able to do that.” He says and makes his way over to the counter. “Is that pepperoni pizza?”

“It is.” Steve says, standing up straight and turning around with a small frown. “But…” he starts to question but Jarvis interrupts.

“What Mr. Stark means, Captain, is that Dummy isn’t equipped with the ability to talk and is thus unable to execute your order.”

Steve blinks. “Oh.” He mumbles and with an awkward laugh and an embarrassed flush makes his way over to where Tony is eating pizza. “Yeah, that would make it rather pointless and stupid.”

Tony is looking at him with a raised eyebrow and when he finishes his slice of pizza, asks: “Why do you want him to say that anyway?”

Steve shrugs with a small smile. “Just loved that movie.”

“Seriously? I mean, I know they didn’t have animated movies like that back in your days but there’s much better movies out there you can watch.” Tony says, waving his hands through the air as he speaks.

Steve rolls his eyes. “I don’t just love it because the animation impresses me, Tony. It’s just a good movie.”

Tony frowns. “Why?”

Steve shrugs. “Just that… the story, I like it. It’s a good reflection of things, how mankind will screw things up eventually. Besides, Wall-E, I can relate with him.” He laughs. “However stupid that sounds. But he’s all alone and just doing what he’s always done and then suddenly there’s EVE and M-O and the other robots and… yeah, I can relate.” He finishes, voice soft and eyes averted. He feels so stupid now for having actually told Tony the truth.

Tony looks at him, thoughtfully and Steve can almost see the gears in Tony’s head moving at light speed, thinking.

He hasn’t got a clue what about and he is getting rather uncomfortable under that scrutinizing look, certainly after his ridiculous heartfelt confession. He raises a hand, awkwardly rubs the back of his neck and gives Tony a lopsided grin as he says: “Besides, it’s a very cute movie.”

Tony blinks. “Cute?” He asks.

Steve nods.

“Right,” he nods and then awkwardly watches Steve for a few moments. “Well, I guess if you like cute it’s probably a good, fun movie.” He says and then grabs a slice of pizza.

Steve tries not to feel dejectedly at the comment. He reminds himself that Tony doesn’t mean anything bad by it, it’s just the way Tony is. Still, he can’t help but feel disappointed.

\---

Three days later, Steve is making his way down to Tony’s workshop again.

The day after his incredibly embarrassing confession Tony had come out of his lab, spent the day with the rest of the Avengers and watching Wall-E, of all movies. Steve still isn’t sure if Tony had been mocking him or was actually genuine. He likes to think it’s the latter of the two. In any case, the movie must’ve sparked something within Tony because the next day he was, yet again, holed up in his workshop.

Which is why Steve is now, yet again, feeling the responsibility – and curiosity – to check on Tony. Today, when Jarvis opens the door, he fumbles a bit, feeling uncharacteristically nervous.

When he enters and sees Tony fiddling with Dummy, however, he freezes with a frown. “Tony?” He asks.

“Ah, brilliant!” Tony sits up and turns to Steve with a grin. “I was just about to test this but since you’re here, you might as well.” He says and beckons Steve over.

Steve warily makes his way over to Tony and Dummy, glancing at the robot. “What did you do to Dummy?”

Tony smirks. “Something innovative.” He claims proudly. “So, try that Wall-E thing again, will you?”

Steve glances at Tony and decides that yes, he trusts this man enough to make a fool out of himself again. However stupid that may turn out to be.

He turns back to Dummy and says: “Hi Dummy, could you try and say Dum-E for me?” He asks.

Dummy’s ‘head’ turns a bit, first to Tony, then back to Steve and he’s making whizzing sounds again although this time, they do sound different.

Steve sighs, shakes his head. “Tony, I don’t know what you want me to do but this is ridiculous.”

“No, it isn’t.” Tony shakes his head defensively and leans forward, pressing some buttons and doing some other things Steve doesn’t hope to ever understand. After a few minutes, he leans back again, looking at Steve. “There, try again.”

“One more time.” Steve warns, hoping that this time Dummy will do whatever Tony is programming him to do. “Dum-E, you can do it.” Steve encourages the robot with a small yet hesitant smile. “Dum-E.”

Dummy turns his ‘head’, whizzes a bit and then a soft, cracking static noise buzzes through the room, followed by: “Dum-E.”

“Oh my God!” Steve jumps a bit, a wide grin on his lips. “He said it!” He exclaims and turns to Tony with a beaming smile. “He said it!”

Tony smirks. “Of course he did! I programmed him to be able to talk. Well, a little.” 

Steve blinks at Tony and then flushes slightly when he realizes exactly what that means. “You did that… for me?” He asks softly, hesitantly, fidgeting with his hands in his lap and seriously hoping he isn’t reading too much into this. Because if he is, he isn’t sure if he’ll ever be able to face Tony – or Dummy – ever again.

Tony’s expression softens in a way Steve has never seen before and he feels his heart skip a beat.

And when Tony reaches out a hand, places it atop of Steve’s twitching ones and gives a soft squeeze, he gasps softly. 

“Well, du~uh. That’s what friends are for, right?” Tony says softly, a genuine smile on his lips while he looks at Steve.

And if ‘friends’ in that instant means more than mere friendship, well, they’re both quite happy with that.


End file.
